The sad tale of inadequate and most times nonavailability of health infrastructure is chorused in most part of the continent. Africa with a population of 1.2 billion people is still battling with the Ebola, Rift Valley Fever and plague. Its inability to promptly, effectively, and efficiently address these outbreaks is largely due to a poor contingency plan. This is cause for concern especially as the world is trying hard to combat coronavirus
WHO has listed 13 African countries:
Algeria, Angola, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia with a high risk of Coronavirus importation due to the high level of travel. “We all know how fragile health systems [are] in the African continent, they are already overwhelmed by many outbreaks. For us, it is critical to detect coronavirus earlier [so] that we can prevent spreading within communities that can trigger a number of cases that can overwhelm the treatment capacity”, said Michel Yao, WHO Africa programme manager for emergency operations. It is interesting to find out how Africa countries will cope with this virusNigeria’s professor and fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science, Oyewole Tomori
In a recent interview with Bloomberg said Nigeria is among a number of countries where the response to coronavirus is likely to be inadequate.
“If it comes, what next do you do?” he said. “Do you have the isolation wards where you can keep the people? Do you have proper systems of monitoring? Do you have laboratory diagnostics for it? In each of those areas, I don’t think we are measuring up to par and that is my worry, ” The WHO technical officer, health emergency programme, Dhamari Naidoo, said the teaching hospital in Gwagwalada Abuja which has been identified as an isolation and treatment Centre is in need of equipment to manage coronavirus. He went further to say “We have forgotten that we have very porous and extensive land borders. If this virus comes through other borders before we can mount response it will be too late”
The continent can only boost of six labs that can test for coronavirus in Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Madagascar, Sierra Leone and South Africa. Egypt is the first African nation to record the incidence of coronavirus.
